d that you are especially indebted to the government." The
Marchesa had never before been spoken to in such strong language and
with such formidable authority. Perhaps the continuous, undulating
movement of neck and head visible above her stiffly-held body,
corresponded with the angry beating of her heart, but it seemed the
movement of some animal struggling to swallow an enormous mouthful. At
any rate she did not unbend sufficiently to speak a word of
acquiescence. Only, having regained her obese calm, she observed that
she had never demanded that measures be adopted against any one; that
she was glad the search had revealed nothing incriminating against
Engineer Ribera; that, nevertheless, all sorts of things had been said
in Casa Ribera, but that words were difficult to trace. The Chevalier
replied more gently, that he could not say whether anything had been
discovered, and that the last word would be spoken by the Marshal
himself, who intended to give this matter his personal attention. This
remark enabled him to return to the subject of the villa at Monzambano.
He asked for it formally for His Excellency, who wished to go there
within a week. The Marchesa thanked him for the great honour, which she
said, her villa did not deserve; it seemed to her too dilapidated, it
wanted repairing, and His Excellency must be informed of this. She
wished to defer her decision, to await the payment of the miserable
price of her condescension, but the Chevalier struck another blow with
his talons, and declared she must answer at once, answer clearly, yes or
no, and the old lady was forced to bow her head. "To accommodate His
Excellency," she said. Greisberg at once became amiable again, and
jested about the measures to be adopted against that _Signor Ingegnere_.
There was no question of spilling blood, only a little ink need be
spilled. There was no question of depriving any one of liberty, rather
of conferring perfect liberty on somebody. The Marchesa made no sign.
She sent for two lemonades, and drank hers slowly in little sips, not
without a faint expression of satisfaction between the sips, as if this
lemonade had a new and exquisite flavour. But the Chevalier wished for
an explicit word from her concerning Ribera, a confession of her
desire, and placing the glass he had hastily drained upon the tray, he
said, "I will see to this myself, you know, and we shall succeed. Are
you satisfied?"

The Marchesa continued to sip the lemo